Protesters target Embassy of India

Protesters target Embassy of India

JAKARTA (JP): Some 60 Moslem students staged a protest outside
the Indian embassy yesterday, denouncing the country's stance on
the disputed-land of Kashmir Valley.

Calling themselves the Communication Forum for Moslem Youths,
the students condemned the recent "assault" by Indian troops
which left 35 Kashmiri Moslem dead and an Islamic shrine
destroyed.

Chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great), the students called on
the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Conference to
intervene and ensure freedom for Kashmiri Moslems.

The students demanded that they be allowed into the embassy to
deliver their petition. After two hours of shouting and arguing
with embassy officials the students were allowed in.

Komaruddin, who organized the protest, said their condemnation
of the clash and the fire that destroyed the mosque in Srinagar,
were rejected by the embassy officials.

Instead, the officials charged Pakistani terrorist were behind
the incident.

"It's impossible," Komaruddin said. "The Pakistanis are
Moslems, there's no way a Moslem would want to burn down a
mosque."

Komaruddin quoted the embassy's official as saying that the
predominantly-Hindu Indian government, however, has agreed to
"rebuild the mosque and set a budget of around Rp 9 billion
(approximately US$4 million) for the purpose".

The clash and the burning of the mosque took place on May 10,
which coincided with the celebration of the Islamic Day of
Sacrifice.

The Indian government has said that the mosque had been burned
down by "hired agents" of Pakistan. Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha
Rao accused "foreign mercenaries" of setting fire to the mosque
in the town of Charar-i-Sharief.

India has a Moslem population of 120 million.

The Indian authorities have repeatedly charged that many of
the dozens of Moslem separatist militants who had been holed up
in Charar-i-Sharief for two months were from Pakistan or
Afghanistan.

During the demonstration yesterday, the students waved
placards and unfurled banners. Some of them read "Here, we don't
abuse the rights of the minority", "Indonesia supports Kashmiri
Moslems" and "India, set Kashmir free".

The three-hour protest, which temporarily disrupted traffic at
the Rasuna Said thoroughfare, ended peacefully with the students
handing their placards to security personnel and cleaning up the
litter they discarded while protesting. (swe)